Fair point, but you MUST get the mechanics mastered first.
I would argue that learning "the mechanics" separate from and as some kind of decade long, mind-numbing, prerequisite dues paying process before adding at the end of the route as some kind of cherry on top the special ingredient towards making emotion-rising music is a very big part of the problem for why so many pianists who are trying so very hard still have such unpleasant "tone".
Last year I had the honor of hearing a young man playing what was probably Grade 5 repertoire in a teacher's recital, some Schumann from Kinderscenen. He had the entire hall rapt in attention and wrapped around his little finger, really making music. Yes, he also did coax a better "tone" out of the piano, whatever that means. But clearly, he did not neglect the sound that was emanating from the piano and was likely relating some kind of image in his head versus typing out black ink marks from paper. Of course he had the required mechanics to play, but made us unaware of the mechanics. Both he and we were aware just of the music and our response to it instead. This kid was already preparing for the day to stop playing at birthday parties. I wish he would have also played a Czerny exercise. I bet it would have been wonderful as well.
You misunderstand my point though. The ability to produce a sound comes through physical movements. So it is part of the mechanics. The intent must be there. But so must the movements that can realise that intent. That is why too much time on mere note-practise is dangerous. You need both the right intention and the right quality of movement. Both integrate into single whole. Bad movements do not convey good intentions. And bad intentions result in bad movements.
It's a little bit like how a magician learns both the techniques to execute the magic and the techniques of facial expressions etc. But he needs both, for the full performance.
In music some are lucky enough to get by without understanding HOW they can create an illusion. That's not possible in magic. But in music it's far easy if you understand how you seek to create the illusions, rather than leave it to chance. And there's every possibility that some of the tricks are not illusions at all- considering some of the issues about how a hammer moves. Who is more likely to make a good tone- someone being aware that it may be possible to coax a better sound through steady acceleration? Or someone who thinks you can only change the speed of a strike? I really don't think that such basic understanding is a bad thing. It's exactly what helps to stop people playing coldly and boringly.
A pianist with a bad tone often needs to be shown how to move more productively. Equally, they need to analyse the connections between notes more- thinking of how to smooth over lumps. You cannot create an illusion unless you know how to.
